Philipp Jung, The DJ who shaped house music's modern era has passed away
Philipp Jung, co founder of Get Physical Music and one half of M.A.N.D.Y., has passed away at 55 leaving behind a lasting house music legacy.
Some legacies are measured in records. Others in rooms changed forever by the music that filled them. Philipp Jung's legacy is both.
Philipp Jung, the German DJ and producer who helped shape the trajectory of house music through the 2000s and beyond as co-founder of the Get Physical Music label, has passed away aged 55. A cause of death has not been made public. The news broke on May 20, 2026 and the dance music world has been processing the loss ever since.
The Man Behind The Music
Before stepping into the artist spotlight, Jung sharpened his ear for talent during the 1990s working in major label A&R roles. He understood the music industry from the inside out before he ever stood behind a DJ booth and that knowledge gave everything he created afterward a clarity and a purpose that most artists never find.
He and Patrick Bodmer joined forces as M.A.N.D.Y. in 2002, producing a take on house music that was as sumptuous and deep as it was tactile and tough. Looking for absolute creative freedom, he relocated to Berlin and co-founded Get Physical Music alongside Patrick Bodmer, DJ T., and Booka Shade. Berlin in 2002 was the most exciting city in the world for electronic music and Jung walked straight into the heart of it and started building something that would outlast the moment entirely.
Get Physical And The Sound That Changed Everything
The imprint quickly exploded into an international powerhouse, earning DJ Magazine's Label of the Year in 2005 by championing a versatile, song oriented tech house sound that bridged the gap between underground clubs and home listening. That bridge is harder to build than it sounds. Most labels pick one side. Get Physical found a way to exist fully on both and that's a rare and difficult thing to pull off.
The Berlin label quickly became one of the most influential imprints of its era, releasing music that connected house, techno, electro, and deeper club sounds with a distinct sense of style and atmosphere. Over the past 24 years it has continued to build a vast catalogue spanning thousands of records.
Get Physical Music became a label closely associated with artists including Booka Shade, Monkey Safari, Birds of Mind, and Yulia Niko. Jung also helped steer the creative direction of its sister label Kindisch, dedicated to deeper, more hypnotic late night atmospheres.
And then there is Body Language. M.A.N.D.Y. released the acclaimed Booka Shade collaboration Body Language in 2005 and it became one of the defining tracks of an entire era of house music. If you were in a club anywhere in Europe in the mid 2000s and that track came on you already know exactly what it felt like. There is no way to overstate what that record meant to a generation of people who found their way to the dancefloor through it.
Still Creating Until The Very End
What makes the loss of Phillip Jung even more profound is how actively and passionately he was still engaged with the music right up until his final days.
In recent years after decades of intense international touring, Jung balanced his legacy with fresh creative outlets. While continuing to celebrate Get Physical's deep catalogue through retrospective curation projects, he also launched METAPHYSICAL, a newer album focused imprint that allowed him to explore melodic indie dance, ambient soundscapes, and alternative instrumentation outside traditional club structures.
Rewind Forward Vol. 1 came on Get Physical Music on 27th March 2026, an 11 track compilation curating 25 years of the label's history alongside new material. As one half of M.A.N.D.Y., Jung played a key role in the emergence of the melodic house movement of the 2000s, and the compilation features both his own compositions with M.A.N.D.Y., his remix work, and tracks by artists including Ryan Murgatroyd, Class B Band, and Digitaline.
Electronic Groove recently sat with him to talk about his latest project Rewind Forward Vol. 1, his move from Berlin to Costa Rica, and the preparations to be a father soon. He was preparing to become a father. He was making new music. He was looking forward. That's the image of Philipp Jung that the music world should carry forward.
When We Dip Magazine had the honour of hosting what now stands as Philipp Jung's final published DJ mix just last month, a poignant reminder of his enduring passion for music and his desire to continue sharing his artistry with the world until the very end.
What He Leaves Behind
Jung's impact can be felt across more than two decades of club culture, from the records he helped create to the labels, artists, and dancefloors he helped shape. As a producer, label founder, curator, and tastemaker, he helped define an era and inspired countless artists around the world. His legacy will continue to resonate through the music, the labels he built, and the generations of listeners and creators he influenced.
The dance music community has been united in grief since the news broke. Artists, label heads, promoters, and fans from every corner of the global electronic music world have been sharing their memories and their love online. That outpouring says everything about the kind of person Philipp Jung was and the kind of impact a life fully dedicated to music can have.
Go listen to Body Language today. Go back through the Get Physical catalogue. Put on Rewind Forward Vol. 1. Let the music do what it always does.
Rest in peace, Philipp Jung. The rooms you changed are still echoing.
